Quilt-As-You-Go

Day 163: As if I don't already have enough projects going already, I stumbled across a cute "quilt-as-you-go" idea on YouTube day before yesterday and thought, "Well, I'll make just one to see how it goes, tuck it away as a reminder that it's a possibility." I've never done a quilt-as-you-go before, although I started one once, and when it came time to add the centers I'd cut beforehand (several hundred), I discovered that I'd forgotten to add a seam allowance. This was fifty years ago or so, and probably only the second or third quilt I'd ever tried to make. I was so disheartened that I abandoned the project and forty years later, used the base fabric for something else, and turned all those tiny little squares into a streets-and-alleys quilt which I gave to a friend for a graduation present. I've learned a lot since then, and the idea of being able to make fully quilted pieces one at a time has an irresistible appeal. These are easy to make. Cut two hexagons, one at 3" and one at 2", lay the larger one down with the back side facing up, put a 2" hexagon of batting in the center, put the 2" fabric on top of that rightside up, and then turn the border. Stitch the border in place, then work a line of quilting around just inside it. Bingo! Your first hexagon is done: backed, batted, quilted all in one go. I have no idea how large this quilt will eventually be. I'll just keep going until I run out of fabrics or out of enthusiasm, whichever comes first.